Best Rated Things to Do in Willemstad

Go Walkies

You'll get a sense of the place almost as soon as you get there, there is a lot to do, its very tourist oriented, there are plenty of restaurants, some expensive, some not. With a place like Willamstad, its well worth just walking around the place for half a day or so, investigating every little nook and cranny, there are quite a few little shops just tucked away, prices are generally the same, but its always good to have a look at whats on offer.

Den Paradera Botanic and Historic Garden

Because of my vertigo attack, when we got to the Botanical Garden, I didn't even get off the bus - I just drew the curtains and slept a little bit. Bob did very well at the photos.

Dinah Veeris was on a one-woman crusade to preserve traditional medicinal plants. In the early 1980s she began Den Paradera, a magnificent botanical garden where she propagated over 300 species of wild medicinal plants. The tours are now done by her son.

There is an admission fee

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Floating Market

Small fishing boats from Venezuela (which is only 40 miles away and a different climate from Curacao entirely) dock on the canal, whose sidewalks are lined with stalls shielded from the sun by colorful canopies. The tables are laden with fruits and vegetables of all description. Arrive early enough and you’ll see the vendors waking up in their boats, which is where they live, Since the climate is so different in Venezuela, the produce they bring over can't easily be grown in arid Curacao.

If we were staying here, this would be an interesting place to shop, but since we can't bring any food items back aboard the ship, this is mostly just to look at.

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Queen Emma Bridge

The Queen Emma Bridge is a pontoon bridge across St. Anna Bay in Curaçao. It connects the Punda and Otrobanda quarters of the capital city, Willemstad. The bridge is hinged and opens regularly to enable the passage of oceangoing vessels

The bridge is moved by two diesel motors.

I was very disappointed on our first visit to Curacao not to see the Queen Emma Bridge in operation. On a subsequent visit, I took a cab over to the town side, did some shopping and then walked across the bridge to the Otrabanda side where the ship was docked.

The bridge was built in 1888 and was completely renovated in 1939 and in 2005. Originally it was a toll bridge. Individuals without shoes were permitted to cross the bridge without paying the toll; however, today, a toll is no longer applied

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Fort Amsterdam

Fort Amsterdam was constructed in 1634 by the Dutch West India Company (DWIC) and served not only as a military fort but also as the headquarters of the DWIC. The fort is considered the main of eight forts on the island, There is another smaller fort facing it across Sint Anna Bay. The fort is currently part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Area of Willemstad The offices of the cabinet and governor of Curaçao are located in the fort. The courtyard is used for parking

The fort was designed with three meter wide walls and five bastions, however only four were built. In 1804 the fort was hit by a cannonball fired by British captain John Bligh, of HMS Theseus, who led a small squadron that captured the fort in February 1804. The ball is still imbedded in the southwestern wall of the fort church and is carefully repainted each time the wall it is in is painted. The fort is painted yellow which is a traditional color for Dutch forts

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Pietermaai Cathedral

In Willemstad the main Catholic church is Pietermaai Cathedral: Reina di Santisimo Rosario (Queen of the Most Holy Rosary) Cathedral. On our tour, we went into the Pietermaai Cathedral, where she told us about the pipe organ (pipes from 2 meters to 2 cm) and the story of the Venezuelan doctor who did 'laying on of hands' i.e. faith healing. When he died people made statues of him, and the statues were said to have the power to produce miracle cures 'if you believe'.. A statue of him is in the church.

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Maritime Museum

The Curaçao Maritime Museum documents 500 years maritime history of Curaçao. There is a permanent exhibition consisting of displays with authentic nautical charts, ship models and navigation equipment combined with audiovisual techniques

As well as the exhibition, the museum also offers a number of interesting tours. We had a night time tour after the museum was closed.

Opening hoursTuesday to Saturday from9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

The museum is also openon Sunday and Mondayduring the cruise season(Nov-Apr).

Admission Fees2013 Museum ticket

This ticket is for admission to the permanent collections and exhibitions, excludes special exhibitions and tours. Also available is a combination of these tours.

Full rate NAf. 10,- / $ 6,-

Child 6-11 years old NAf. 5,- / $ 3,-

Child less than 6 years old Free

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Trolley Train Tour

Our first excursion on our first visit to Curacao was the little pink trolley which gave a tour of Willemstad. We did not stop at the National Archives which is in Bolo di Bruit known as the wedding cake house, but just drove by for pictures. She pointed out the floating market as we drove by, and after we toured the old city, we went into the Pietermaai Cathedral, where she told us about the pipe organ (pipes from 2 meters to 2 cm) and the story of the Venezuelan doctor who did 'laying on of hands' i.e. faith healing. When he died people made statues of him, and the statues were said to have the power to produce miracle cures 'if you believe'.. A statue of him is in the church.

We couldn't see the Queen Emma bridge which was out for reconstruction, but we did see a little bascule bridge over the canal. We finished up at Fort Amsterdam which was built in 1635. The cupola on the roof was built later. This building is now used for government offices.

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